1 – Peter Chin is a dick. “I hope it snows on the Northern Motorway so the cars cant get through” Did the good people of Dunedin actually elect this muppet who like to throw his toys?

2 – Leave the Police alone. They are just trying to do there job, bet you where glad when they arrested that guy who broke into you’re flat earlier in the year. Admittedly they could do a review of how they handled it this year but it was better than in 2008.

Unfortunately it seems to be a mob mentality of Police in riot gear = throw bottles etc. at them. WHY?!?

3 – Canterbury students, they get more enjoyment through decorating the cars and driving than the fires and rioting. They don’t cause it.

4 – Otago students, as one letting into the paper today stated, “congratulations to the 19,900 students who didn’t get arrested or in trouble” Why pray tell has a minority got the rest of the uni by the balls?

Now that I have bored you with what everyone else is saying its time for something completely different…. Solutions! Look at the bright side, you have a ready built crowd of young people practically begging for something to do. Is it just me of is this a heaven sent marketing opportunity? You don’t even have to advertise it very hard.

There was another letter in the paper today that was along the same sort of vein. Put on a gig, get some bands to play. I would hazard a guess and say that there is some small bands in the music department that would love the chance to play. If the University can use them for a crappy TV ad I’m sure they can put there music skills to better use, entertainment of the masses or such like. There is real potential to turn the Undie500 into a really cool festival that can be managed and, dare I say it, a profit to be had too…

Perhaps I am just a capitalist who sees dollar signs or perhaps the Dunedin City Council just lacks imagination and a little bit of flare to cope with problems that aren’t in the textbook.

Drinking is bad for you. But you will do it. If you are a creationist, blame God. If you are a Darwinist, blame evolution. But for goodness sake – don’t blame your self!

I had the luxury of attending an open lecture last weekend by Prof Harlene Hayne from the Otago Psychology dept. The intriguing title was “My Brain Made Me Do It”. After hearing the lecture I realized that this translates to: ”It’s not student’s fault that they drink”. I remember feeling that there was some sort of biological duality discussed about responsibility but I was in the midst of a phenomenal hangover so it all slipped into the mists of alcohol abuse. Fortunately the NZ herald ran an article summarizing her research and will I take the opportunity to draw attention to a couple of points raised:

We really are our brains, so it’s not surprising adolescent brains like risky behaviour, driving too fast, unprotected sex, alcohol, because that’s what they are programmed to do.

The logic here is interesting. I am curious to see if stands up in a court of law.

Girls are now as much into alcohol, unprotected sex, drugs and other risky behaviour and are hurting themselves and dying at almost as high a rate as their male counterparts.

I’m not sure if this is true judging from the preponderance of non-Munich-style “sausagefests” occuring in town. Where are these drunken, loose or dead women hiding? If they were really into risky behavior why are they not wandering the streets in town? Patently false I say!

Anyway, the moral of the story seemed to be ‘let’s give students a chance because they are just glorified children who don’t know any better’. I think she might have the nail on the head there.

this isn’t strictly douchebaggery, but still, being caught on camera during a riot is potentially a good thing. being caught in that same situation while carrying a can of pulse.. instant credibility failure there my son